Mehuman and Memukan of Esther 1

by Damien F. Mackey To me, these look like two very similar lists, with the names reversed in order: Mehuman-Memukan; Karkas-Karshena; Zethar-Shethar; Abagtha-Admatha …. The names Mehuman and Memukan (Memukhan) look very much the same (with just an ‘m’ and, say, ‘kh’ inverted). Moreover, Mehuman and Memukan both are numbered amongst seven officials of King Ahasuerus of Medo-Persia: Esther 1:10: “[Ahasuerus] commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas …. Esther 1:13-14: “[Ahasuerus] spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. To me, these look like two very similar lists, with the names reversed in order. Thus: Mehuman-Memukan; Karkas-Karshena; Zethar-Shethar; Abagtha-Admatha …. This was in “the third year of [Ahasuerus’s] reign” (1:3). Now, according to Daniel 1:21, the prophet “continued until the first year of King Cyrus.” But Daniel 10:1 tells that Daniel was still there until the “third year of Cyrus king of Persia”, who was, according to my reconstructions, King Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther: Real historical characters in the Book of Esther (3) Real historical characters in the Book of Esther | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu I had thus, previously, considered it an outside possibility that Mehuman may have been Nehemiah (my Daniel): Daniel and Nehemiah (3) Daniel and Nehemiah | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu Interchange the M with an N (as is commonly done in ancient languages) and Mehuman becomes Nehuman, which is very like Nahum, a name related to Nehemiah: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Nehemiah.html I have lately accepted the likelihood of the view, espoused by Yaacov Bronstein, that Memukan (Memuchan) was none other than Haman himself: Suggestion that the name Memuchan in Esther 1:16-22 may be a reference to Haman (4) Suggestion that the name Memuchan in Esther 1:16-22 may be a reference to Haman | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu And I would now carry over that view to suggest that Mehuman also was Haman. What really swung me on this one was Abarim’s relating of the name, Mehuman, with, not only Haman, but also Amon: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Mehuman.html Related names • Via אמן ('aman): Abanah, Amana, Amen, Amittai, Amnon, Amon, Haman, Heman This seems to reinforce another theory of mine that Haman was the former King Amon of Judah. There is another thing of which I was quite unaware, seemingly reinforcing Bronstein’s view. The Septuagint of Esther 1:10 has, instead of Memuhan, the name Aman (Αμαν), which is the Greek version of Haman.